Nipple for feeding liquids to fowl and/or small animals

ABSTRACT

This disclosure is directed to a nipple particularly adapted for feeding liquid to fowl and/or small animals, the nipple including a housing having an insert defining a passage through which liquid is adapted to pass from an upstream portion to a downstream portion thereof, a valve in the passage defined by at least one peripheral valve seat and a metallic spherical ball normally resting upon the peripheral valve seat, a stem defined by a head and a pin, the pin having a cylindrical outer surface housed within the downstream passage portion, the downstream passage portion including a frusto-conical outlet surface defined in part by an axial outermost major diameter and an axially innermost minor diameter, the insert further including an annular seat upon which the head normally rests, a flow-control surface between the annular seat and the minor diameter of the frusto-conical outlet surface, the flow-control surface defining with the pin cylndrical outer surface a generally annular flow-control channel through which liquid passes when the valve is unseated from the peripheral valve seat, the frusto-conical outlet surface being of a predetermined maximum angle to the axis thereof, and the flow-control surface having an angle to its axis ranging between 0° and up to but not including the predetermined maximum angle of the frusto-conical outlet surface.

This application is a division of application Ser. No. 728,090, filedApr. 29, 1985, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,606,301, which is acontinuation-in-part patent application of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 595,577 filed Apr. 2, 1984 in the name of Frederick W. Steudler,Jr., and now U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,724.

The present invention is directed to an improvement in a nippleparticularly adapted for feeding liquid to fowl and/or small animals,and specifically is an improvement over the nipple disclosed in U.S.Pat. No. 4,284,036 in the name of Eldon Hostetler issued on Aug. 18,1981.

The nipple of the latter-identified patent is disadvantageously formedin part by a flexible pair of rubber seats which deteriorate rapidlyunder the influence of chlorine, iodine or other chemicals foundvirtually in all portable water supplies. Such chemicals vary thephysical characteristics of the flexible seals resulting in changeswhich cause erratic operation. For example, apart from puredeterioration of the resilient seats or seals, should the same increaseor decrease in flexibility as a result of chemicals in the water, theamount of water released as the ball is unseated will vary fromoperation to operation. Thus, consistency of performance and longevityare attributes which are simply not possessed by the patented nipple.

The patented nipple also includes a spring for seating the ball upon anactuator pin, and the spring results in a less than compact nipple, notto mention the fact that an additional element (spring) is necessary fordesired operability.

Another disadvantage of the patented nipple is the manner in which theball seats upon a limited portion of the head of the stem or pin whichpermits a concavity of the head to become partially or completely filledwith dirt or similar debris. When the latter occurs, the ball is not asreadily triggered through movement of the stem or pin and, just asimportantly, the operation of the ball is erratic depending upon thedegree of accumulated dirt causing proportionate erratic ball lift andball lowering. Erratic ball lifting is a major problem, but should thedirt accumulate sufficiently, the ball may not lower to a proper seatcreating peripheral leaks along the flexible seal or seals. Such leakagecreates a continuous flow of water which passes through associated cagesinto manure pits therebelow resulting in highly undesired wet manure.

Finally, another disadvantage of the patented nipple is the constructionof the valve housing such that a portion thereof projects into the watersupply pipe and restricts water flow therethrough. As water flow isrestricted, the length of the watering pipeline must necessarily bereduced or delivery must be effected from the middle of the line or fromboth ends, both of which is cumbersome and can be difficult.

In keeping with the foregoing, a primary object of this invention is toprovide a novel and unobvious nipple which avoids and overcomes all ofthe disadvantages latter-noted relative to the patented nipple and doesso through a simple and unique nipple structure characterized mostnotably by a relatively thick-walled metallic machined insert defining apassage through which liquid is adapted to pass from an upstream passageportion to a downstream passage portion thereof, the insert includingfirst and second peripheral valve seats and a metallic ball adapted tobe seated thereupon under the influence of gravity/liquid pressure todefine respective first and second liquid seals, a stem defined by ahead and a pin with the head having a concave surface within which isfully seated a spherical surface of the metallic ball, the pin beingpositioned for manipulation by fowl and/or small animals to move thehead and the metallic ball seated thereon to unseat the same from thefirst and second peripheral valve seats breaking the respective firstand second liquid seals, and means immediately upstream of the mostupstream or first peripheral valve seat for both centering the metallicball relative to both the first and second peripheral valve seats andfor preventing the establishment of high impact closing forces betweenthe metallic ball and the second peripheral valve seat thereby assuringrepetitive formation of the first and second seals absent damage to themetallic ball.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel nipple asaforesaid in which the metallic insert includes an exterior surfacepress-fit within and against an interior surface of an associatedhousing.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel nipple of thetype heretofore described wherein the first and second peripheral valveseats and the centering and impact force preventing means of the insertare all machine surfaces.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel nipple asheretofore described wherein the first peripheral valve seat is definedby a concavely curved surface, the second peripheral valve seat is alsodefined by a concavely curved surface, and the centering and preventingmeans is a smooth curved transition surface defined by a plurality ofsuccessive diameters each of which is progressively greater than thediameter of the first peripheral valve seat, as measured in an upstreamdirection.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel nipple whichprovides total flow control over the lifetime of the nipple whichheretofore has not been provided by the nipples of the latter-notedpatent and application, the latter object being obtained by providingthe nipple insert with a flow-control surface between an annular seat ofthe stem head and the minor diameter of a frusto-conical outlet surface,the flow-control surface defining with a cylindrical outer surface ofthe pin a generally annular flow-control channel through which liquidpasses when the valve is unseated, the frusto-conical outlet surfacebeing of a predetermined maximum angle to the axis thereof, and theflow-control surface having an angle to its axis ranging between 0° andup to but not including the predetermined maximum angle of thefrusto-conical outlet surface whereby under even long-term abuse, thesize of the annular flow-control channel will remain uniform and, thus,liquid will continue to flow therethrough in a totally constant andregulated fashion.

A further object of this invention is to provide a novel nipple asimmediately set forth in the last object wherein the flow-controlsurface is preferably a cylindrical surface.

With the above and other objects in view that will hereinafter appear,the nature of the invention will be more clearly understood by referenceto the following detailed description, the appended claims and theseveral views illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a novel nipple constructed in accordancewith this invention, and illustrates the nipple connected to a plasticwater pipe.

FIG. 2 is an exploded axial section view of a portion of the nipple ofFIG. 1, and illustrates several components thereof prior to assemblyincluding a plastic housing, a metallic insert defining a flow passage,a stem, a spherical ball, a lid and an O-ring seal.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the encircledportion of FIG. 2, and illustrates two peripheral valve seats of theinsert of a concave configuration conforming to the exterior surface ofthe ball.

FIG. 4 is an axial section view of a partial assembly of the nipple andillustrates the insert press fit in the lower housing, the stem within apassage of the insert, and the ball seated against and upon both valveseats and fully within a concave surface of a head of the stem.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken generally along line 5--5 ofFIG. 1 and illustrates the lid in its operative position and an upperhousing secured to the water pipe through a saddle bonded thereto.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the encircled areaof FIG. 5 and more clearly illustrates the spherical ball fully seatedupon its mirror image peripheral valve seats.

FIG. 7 is an axial sectional view of the nipple similar to FIG. 6, butillustrates the stem moved to a position unseating the ball resulting inthe flow of liquid through the passage and down the stem to an awaitingfowl or small animal.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view of another embodiment of theinvention, and illustrates a stem having alternating cylindrical andfrusto-conical portions defining annular water-retaining gapstherebetween.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged sectional view of another nipple similar to thatillustrated best in FIG. 5, but illustrates a generally cylindricalflow-control passage between a cylindrical flow-control surface of ametallic insert of a nipple and a cylindrical surface of the pin.

FIG. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the encircled areaof FIG. 9, and more clearly illustrates the generally annularflow-control channel.

A novel nipple constructed in accordance with this invention and isgenerally designated by the reference numeral 10, and is formed by alower plastic housing 11, a metallic insert 12, a metallic stem 13, ametallic spherical ball 14, a plastic lid 15, and O-ring seal 16 ofrubber or similar material, and an upper plastic housing 17.

The lower plastic housing 11 of the nipple 10 includes a pair ofradially outwardly directed legs 20, 21 (FIG. 1) spanned by a bight wall22 to which is integrally formed an inverted J-shape hook 23. The hook23 cooperates with a radially outwardly and upwardly directed projection24 (FIGS. 1 and 5) of the upper housing 17 to releasably interlockinglysecure the housing 11, 17 to each other as will be described more fullyhereinafter.

The lower housing 11 is preferably injection molded and includes acylindrical surface 26 (FIG. 2) blending with a frusto-conical surface27 which in turn blends with another cylindrical surface 28, which inturn blends with another frusto-conical surface 29, and the latterblends with a final cylindrical surface 30. The tolerances of thesurfaces 28, 30 are such as to form a press-fit with correspondingsurfaces of the insert 12 as will be described more fully hereinafter.

The insert 12 is constructed of stainless steel and includes an outercylindrical surface 31, a frusto-conical shoulder 32, anothercylindrical surface 33, and a frusto-conical surface 34. The insert 12is press-fit into the lower housing 11 bringing the surfaces 31, 33 ofthe insert 12 into press-fit relationship with the respective surfaces28, 30 of the lower housing 11 (FIG. 4). Due to the relatively thickwalled cross section of the insert 12, the various machined surfaces andthe extremely high tolerances thereof remain unchanged and/or unaffectedby the press-fit relationship between the lower housing 11 and theinsert 12.

The stainless steel insert 12 is machined both externally andinternally, including the surfaces 31 through 34 and the entire interiorof the insert 12 defining a flow passage for liquid (water) which isgenerally designated by the reference numeral 40. The flow passage 40includes an upstream end portion 41 and a downstream end portion 42, thelatter of which is defined by a frusto-conical wall 43 defining anincluded angle of 7° to the vertical or to the axis of the passage 40.An annular shoulder 44 of the passage 40 forms a seat for a head 45 ofthe stem 13, as is most readily apparent from FIGS. 4 and 5 of thedrawings.

Upstream of the annular shoulder 44, the insert 12 includes acylindrical surface 46 and first and second peripheral valve seats 51,52, respectively (FIG. 3). The peripheral valve seat 51 is radiallyoutwardly offset from the peripheral valve seat 52 and valve seats 51,52 are immediately adjacent a cylindrical surface 53 and afrusto-conical surface 54, respectively. The first and second peripheralvalve seats 51, 52 have identical outwardly opening concave surfaceswhich are mirror images of an exterior surface 55 of the ball 14.Obviously, the diameter of the peripheral valve seat 52 is less than thediameter of the peripheral valve seat 51 and the diameter of the latteris less than the diameter of the ball 14. Hence, in the fully seatedposition of the ball 14 (the solid lines in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6), thesurface 55 of the ball 14 seats with exactitude against the concavesurface 51, 52 and defines therewith first and second peripheral liquidseals (unnumbered). In the same fully seated position of the ball 14relative to the peripheral valve seats 51, 52, the surface 55 also fullyseats within and upon an upwardly opening concave surface 56 (FIGS. 4, 5and 6) of the head 45. Due to the latter relationship, dirt, grime orlike contaminants carried by water flowing through an associated pipe P(FIG. 1) and eventually flowing through the passage 40 can notaccumulate upon the concave surface 56 and, thus, the movement of theball 14 is repetitively accurate during both opening and closingoperations, i.e., unseating of the ball 14 relative to the peripheralvalve seats 51, 52 (FIG. 7) and seating thereupon to form the peripheralliquid seals (FIGS. 4, 5 and 6). In the absence of the latterfull-seated relationship between the concave surface 56 and the surface55, debris which might otherwise accumulate therebetween would result inthe ball 14 being raised slightly from its normal (closed) positionthereby creating a liquid leak at one or more of the peripheral valveseats 51, 52. The accumulation of such dirt or debris also renderserratic the opening operation as the stem 13 is cocked or moved (FIG. 7)by a small animal or fowl. In such cases, over-watering might occur dueto such accumulated dirt or debris, the disadvantage resulting therefromresides primarily in the fact that the water simply drips through theassociated cages and collects in a manure pit therebelow resulting inhighly undesired extremely wet manure. However, the latter is totallyobviated by the perfectly matched seating between the surface 55 of theball 14 and the concave surface 56 of the head 45.

The insert 12 also includes means generally designated by the referencenumeral 60 (FIGS. 3 and 6) in the form of a peripherally disposed convexsurface located immediately upstream from the first peripheral valveseat 51 which is operative for both centering the metallic ball 14relative to both the first and second peripheral valves 51, 52,respectively, and for preventing the establishment of high impactclosing forces between the metallic ball 14 and both peripheral valveseats 51, 52, but most notably the second peripheral valve seat 52, toassure repetitive formation of the two peripheral seals absent damage tothe surface 55 of the metallic ball 14. Stated otherwise, the convexsurface 60 progressively increases in diameter in the upstream directionfrom the peripheral valve seat 51 beginning with a minor diameter lessthan the diameter of the ball 14 and a major diameter greater than thediameter of the ball 14, as is most readily apparent from FIGS. 5 and 6of the drawing. During repetitive seating and unseating of the ball 55,the same rarely, if ever, moves perfectly vertically upwardly anddownwardly to make total peripheral contact with the valve seats 51, 52.Instead, the ball 14 is indiscriminately moved repetitively in a varietyof different directions depending upon the manner in which the smallanimals or fowl actuate the stem 13. However, irrespective of the ball14 being axially misaligned as it descends from an unseated positiontoward the peripheral seats 51, 52, the surface 55 will encounter theconvex surface 60 and will not impact against the peripheral valve seat51. Thus, the surface 55 will not be damaged because of the gradualconvex curvature of the surface 60, nor will the surface 55 damageeither of the peripheral valve seats 51 or 52. The latter would notoccur in the absence of the convex surface 60, as can be readilyvisualized. Absent the surface 60, the ball 14 in its descent to aclosing position would impinge directly against either or both of thesurfaces 51, 52 and these, in turn, because of the relatively small sizethereof (0.003) would either nick the surfaces 55 or they, themselves,become nicked or damaged. In any event, if this were cumulative, theexacting surfaces 51, 52 and 55 would be nicked, scratched or otherwiseabused to such an extent that the lifetime of the nipple 10 would begreatly diminished. However, due to the convex surface 60 and thedimensional relationships (diameters) thereof to the diameter of theball 14 and the lesser diameters of the peripheral valve seat 51, 52,such impact force defects are totally eliminated, and the lifetime ofthe operability of the nipple 10 is tremendously increased absent anytype of leakage whatever.

Once the insert 12 has been pressed into the lower housing 11 (FIG. 4)and the stem 13 and ball 14 have been positioned therein, as shown inFIG. 4, the lid 15 (FIG. 2) is preassembled by inserting thereupon theO-ring gasket 16 and then simply press-fitting an exterior surface 59 oflid 15 into intimate conformity and gripping engagement with thecylindrical surface 26 of the lower housing 11 resulting in a slightcompression of the gasket 16, as is best shown in FIG. 5. The lid 15includes a passage 61 therethrough, but due to the absence of a spring,as in the patented nipple heretofore described, the axial length of lid15 is appreciably shorter than the same structure in the patentednipple. This results in an overall axially compact nipple which allowsthe stem to be located higher in an associated cage than the patentednipple so that the animal or fowl which is watering will peck at orotherwise move the stem 13 from a downward to an upward angle of attack,as opposed to a more perpendicular angle of attack resulting in lesswater spillage and corresponding less wet manure. In addition, the morecompact, squatter, or lesser axial length of the insert 12 permits thesame to be housed within a cylindrical bore 62 of a tubular projection63 of the upper housing 17 wholly exterior of the pipe P and an openingO thereof. Due to the latter, the upper housing 16 is provided with arelatively small diameter tube or tubular portion 64 having a passage 65therethrough which places an interior I of the pipe P in fluidcommunication with the passage 61 of the lid 15. However, since thetubular portion 64 is of a small diameter, it permits maximum water flowalong the length of the pipe P which, of course, has numerous ones ofthe nipples 10 secured thereto by bonding associated saddles 66 to theexterior pipe P. Because of the small diameter of the tubular portion64, maximum water flow through the pipe P can be established as, forexample, feeding water through a pipe P from one end for a length of 600feet in accordance with the present invention, whereas the patentednipple can only feed water in a line 280 feet long, but even at that thesame must be fed from the middle or both ends.

In operation water flows through the pipe P and the bores or passages65, 61 (FIG. 5). With the ball 14 seated (solid lines in FIGS. 5 and 6),flow through the passage 40 of the insert 12 is precluded because of thetwo liquid seals formed between the surface 55 of the ball 14 and theconcave peripheral valve seats 51, 52 (FIG. 6). The ball 14 is thus heldin this seated relationship due to its own weight (gravity) and the lowpressure of the water upstream thereof. At any such time as the exposedend (unnumbered) of the stem 13 is moved, lifted, tilted, etc. by fowlor small animals, the ball 14 is in turn removed at least partially fromthe seats 51, 52, as is graphically illustrated in FIG. 7, at which timewater descends along a pin 49 of the stem 13 and can be received by thefeeding animal. Once the latter (stem 13) is released, the weight of theball 14 and the water pressure again reseats the ball 14 upon theperipheral concave valve seats 51, 52. As was heretofore described, atany such time that the ball 14 is off-center to the axis of the passage,the convex surface 60 prevents impact forces of the ball 14 fromdamaging particularly the peripheral valve seat 52, but also the valveseat 51 and, of course, the surface 55 of the ball 14 itself.

Reference is made to FIG. 8 of the drawings in which another embodimentof the invention is illustrated with like elements being identicallynumbered, though primed. Thus, the nipple 10' of FIG. 8 includes a lowerhousing 11', an insert 12' and a spherical metallic ball 14'. However,in this case a stem 13' has an identical head 14' and concave surface56', but a pin 70 thereof is defined by alternating frusto-conicalsurfaces 71 and cylindrical surfaces 72 defining therebetween annularliquid/water retaining gaps 73. Capillary attraction retains waterwithin the gaps 73 and, thus, during any particular dispensingoperation, appreciably more water will be retained upon the pin 70 dueto the grooves 73 than upon the perfectly cylindrical pin 49 of the stem13. Otherwise, the nipple 10' is identical in function and operation tothe nipple 10.

Reference is now made to FIGS. 9 and 10 of the drawings which illustrateanother nipple 10" which has identical, though double-primed referencenumerals corresponding to those of the nipple 10 to designate identicalstructure. However, in lieu of the frusto-conical wall 43 defining theentire flow passage 40 of the insert 12 of the nipple 10, including theupstream end portion 41 and the downstream end portion 42 thereof, theinsert 12" of the nipple 10" includes a liquid flow passage 80 having anupstream end portion 81 and a downstream end portion 82, the latter ofwhich is defined by a frusto-conical wall or surface 83 defining anincluded angle of 7° to the vertical or to the axis of the passage 80.The frusto-conical surface 83 includes an axially innermost minordiameter 84 and an axially outermost major diameter 85.

The upstream end portion 81 of the flow passage 80 is illustrated as aperfectly cylindrical flow-control surface, which is also designated bythe reference numeral 81 and extends axially from the minor diameter 84to the annular shoulder or radial seat 44" for the head 45" of the stem13". The pin 49" is, of course, defined by an outer cylindrical surface87 which defines with the full-control surface 81 a generally annularflow-control channel 90 between the annular seat 44" and the minordiameter 84 of the frusto-conical surface 83. The axial length of thefull-control passage 90 can vary, but is perfectly in the vicinity ofapproximately 0.045 inch, as distinguished from the abrupt edge at theintersection of the annular seat 44 and the frusto-conical surface 43 ofthe insert 12. The latter abrupt edge is subject to a high degree ofwear and abuse, as can be readily imagined when one appreciates thecontinuous motion imparted to the stem 13 (FIG. 7, for example) duringnot simply months but years of use. The wear of this abrupt edge, evenduring initial stages, varies the liquid flow ever increasing the sameas wear continues, and this in turn causes water which descends down thepin 49 to simply be of an excessive amount capable of being drunk by afeeding fowl or animal. This excessive water simply drops to the brooderfloor, wets the animal excrement and this, in turn, creates odor anddisposal problems. However, due to the relatively long axial extent andmatching surfaces, generally speaking, of the surfaces 87, 84, the sizeof the annular flow-control passage or channel 90 remains virtuallyconstant over the lifetime of the nipple 10", and excessive liquid flowand the disadvantages noted heretofore simply do not occur.

Though the liquid flow-control surface 81 is preferably perfectlycylindrical, as was heretofore noted, the same may be tapered slightly,but the tapering must never match that of the surface 83, otherwise suchmatching surfaces would result in the undesired abrupt edge heretoforenoted between the surfaces 43", 44" of the nipple 10". Therefore, in thepreferred form of the invention, the angle of the frusto-conical surface83 to its axis is preferably 7° and, thus, the full-control surface 81can range from a perfect cylinder (0° ) upwardly to but not includingthe 7° or maximum angle, whatever is selected of the frusto-conicalsurface 83. As an example of the latter, if the frusto-conical surface83 is between 6°-9°, the flow control surface 81 can be anywhere between0° up to but not including 6° for the lower range and up to but notincluding 9° for the upper range of the frusto-conical surface 83.

Although only in a preferred embodiment of the invention as has beenspecifically illustrated and described herein, it is to be understoodthat minor variations may be made in the apparatus without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined in the appendedclaims.

I claim:
 1. A nipple particularly adapted for feeding liquid to fowland/or small animals comprising a housing including means for defining apassage through which liquid is adapted to pass from an upstream passageportion to a downstream passage portion, valve means in said passage forcontrolling the flow of liquid therethrough, said valve means includinga movable valve and a valve seat within said passage, said valve beingseated under the influence of gravity/liquid pressure upon said valveseat in a closed position of said valve means, a stem defined by a headand a pin, the pin having a cylindrical outer surface housed within thedownstream passage portion, the downstream passage portion including afrusto-conical outlet surface defined in part by an axial outermostmajor diameter and an axially innermost minor diameter, an annular seatupon which the head normally rests, a cylindrical flow-control surfacebetween the annular seat and the minor diameter of the frusto-conicaloutlet surface, the flow-control surface defining with the pincylindrical outer surface a generally annular flow-control channelthrough which liquid passes when the frusto-conical outlet surface is ofa predetermined maximum angle to the axis thereof, and the flow-controlsurface having an angle to its axis ranging above 0° and up to but notincluding the predetermined maximum angle of the frusto-conical outletsurface and said predetermined maximum angle is generally 7°.